Still Frame
by Danaeyl Panthernopaeus
Summary: After disappearing for six months, Yami returns. He seems to be reliving certain memories from his time away. Eventual prideship. Will contain extremely dark themes, a lot of torture, a lot of angst, a lot of OOC, and eventual lots of fluff. It is yaoi, and will contain graphic scenes between two men. If anything mentioned offends you, don't read.
1. Chapter I

**Still Frame**

**Author:**  
Danaeyl Panthernopaeus.

**Theme:**  
Alternate Universe.

**Storyline:**  
Help me, because I've broken down.

**Warnings:**  
Rape, insanity, shounen-ai, OOC. Complete prideshipping.

**Disclaimer:**  
Everything of and referring to Yu-Gi-Oh is not mine. This is a fan-based, non-profit story. Please support the official release.

* * *

Rain. When did it start to rain? Why could he feel it? He was indoors, the last time he had a reality check. Was he outside? Was it something new they wanted to try? Why did it have to be him?

Violet eyes slowly looked up at the crying skies. He was outside. He was not in the dungeon anymore. He had been a good boy, and they had allowed him to breathe fresh air. That was all he needed to do. Continue behaving and he would have his freedom.

He slowly staggered to his feet, leaning heavily on the wall behind him. Had they fed him? He could not remember his last meal. Was he free? He could not remember them saying he allowed to go. There was a black smoke in his head.

Every time he tried to remember what had happened, the smoke became thicker. It refused to let him see anything. As he tried to paw his way through the darkness, he suddenly became aware of where he was.

_How did I get here?_ The question continued to run through his mind, as he stumbled out of the alley. The rain had made people dash for cover, and made the streets a little less crowded. Was he still in Japan?

_Did I get the high score?_ And just like that, he was dazed with knowledge about his surroundings. He walked across the street, almost hit by a car. He didn't bat an eyelash at the vehicle that honked at him angrily. He was almost certain he knew where might be, kind of.

_Rest_, a voice whispered through his mind. He spun around, trying to figure out who would be playing with him. When he could see no one, he continued walking. People stared at him, as though he was a leper. They kept their distance from him.

_Clear your mind._ The staggering gait became a confident stride. He would make sure they were put somewhere safe. He needed food and drink. More importantly, he had to find a way of acquiring those things without any money.

_I forgot my lunch._ And again, the change was instantaneous. He fell against a wall, his breathing was irregular, his pupils dilated. His heart pounded against his chest. Screams rang through his mind. Were they his screams, or someone else's? He could not tell

_Forget yourself._ He pushed off the wall. When he looked at it, he came to realise that it was not a wall. It was a window. In his reflection he saw how bad he looked. He was severely underweight. The once form fitting clothing hung from his body. His eyes were dead behind the stubbornness. He had a scar along his jaw, and that was when he became aware of the other aches and pains that riddled his body.

_I need my notes._ The violet eyes glazed over. They stared at their reflection, almost as though they had no idea what they were looking at. A grin broke out across the handsome face. He reached out to the window, gently running his fingertips along the outline of his mouth.

His eyes widened when an image flashed in his mind. It was quickly covered with the smoke, but he knew what he had seen. He was laying on his back, staring up at a shadowed man who ran his fingers along the outline of his lips. There was a sadistic laugh. And that was the end of it. The rest had been taken by the smoke.

_Sleep._ And he did, happily. His mind finally gave way, and he was sleeping restlessly. He was likely to be plagued by dreams of black smoke. And he was fine with that. As long as he didn't remember anything else. The smoke was there for his protection.

He paused when he heard his name. He looked over his shoulder, staring down at the youngest Kaiba. He was hoping he wouldn't be recognised, but at the same time with the way he looked, it was a miracle that anyone knew who he was.

_Sandalwood and jasmine._ He fought to keep the other back, but was a losing battle. Eventually the purple eyes became glazed, dilated and unfocused. The youngest Kaiba seemed to notice, as he called out to the man again. When he received no spark of recognition, the oldest Kaiba stepped up to the plate.

He walked off, not bothering with them. They didn't know who he was. They didn't know what he was. They didn't know anything about him. And they would only be like the others. The others who were covered by the smoke.

He stopped walking when a strong hand took hold of his arm. It wasn't like the other hands that had touched him. But it wasn't welcoming, either. There were sorcerers at work here. He just knew it.

"What happened to you?"

He stared into curious sapphire eyes. He broke out into a grin. "Pretty… Like jewels."

The other blinked. He looked back at Mokuba and nodded. The younger Kaiba ran off to get the car. Kaiba asked what had happened again, and again received no answer that made any sense. He shook his head slightly.

What was he going to do?

He collapsed against the other. He was so strong, and smelled so nice. "I forgot my lunch notes," he whispered, as though it was a secret.

_Sleep._ The battle waged on, but eventually he won. He straightened his posture, looking up at the Kaiba defiantly.

"I apologise for my actions," he stated.

"Yami…"

"Not Yami – Atem." He walked off, becoming one with the crowd.

* * *

Seto had spent the last two days searching the city for Atem, or Yami. He didn't notice much difference between the two, except Atem seemed a little more tanned. He thought he had searched every inch of the urban jungle.

And still he could not find Yami.

He had spoken to Yugi about it, and came to find that Yugi didn't even know Yami was in the city. None of the other misfits knew anything about it, either. And they looked at Seto as though he was insane.

He might as well have been. If Mokuba hadn't of seen the Pharaoh as well, Seto was certain he would have put it down to a hallucination. But Mokuba had seen him; had called out to him. Seto had spoken to him. He had been corrected on the names.

So where was he?

Seto left the last refuge on his list, and stared up at the night sky. Yami had not been in any of the refuges. He had not been in any of the churches. He had basically disappeared. That wasn't something Seto was pleased about.

He could still remember the way Yami looked. The way he babbled about losing his 'lunch notes', whatever they were. Seto had noticed the scars. He had noticed the bruises. He had noticed the significant weight loss. He had noticed everything that had gone wrong with Yami.

That didn't make finding him any easier, though.

Everyone had agreed that they would keep an eye out for someone fitting Yami's description. He had left all his numbers with the people, just in case he was unavailable.

Seto had been surprised that Yugi, Honda, Anzu and Ryou had been the only ones to agree to help in the search. They had, apparently, come up empty as well. That didn't stop the questions of why the mutt hadn't offered to help them look. He had just lazily shrugged his shoulders, and told them he would look if there was any real proof that the Pharaoh was in the city.

By the gods did Seto want to punch him!

Instead, Seto had just nodded and left. He was nowhere near finding Yami, and he was beginning to worry. Had he died in the gutter somewhere? No. Someone would have remembered the King of Games being found dead in a ditch. And there hadn't been anything in the news about a body being found.

So all Seto could do was return to his mansion. He located his car, and got into the backseat. He ordered the driver to take him home. The man didn't say a word. He nodded his head, put the car into gear and promptly reversed into the lamp post behind the vehicle.

Seto glared at the back of the man's head. "What the hell are you trying to do?"

The driver held up a tanned hand, apologising without words. The gears crunched as the car was put into first, and pulled out into oncoming traffic. Seto forced himself not to scream like a girl. The driver had taken him to his destination without any problems. What the hell had happened in the last five minutes?

"Are you drunk or high?" Seto demanded.

The driver just shook his head.

Again the gears crunched, and Seto winced at the sound. While he might have money to burn, but he didn't want to have to replace his car every time he went out. Where in the blue blazes had he found this guy?

"Mokuba can drive better than you at the moment," Seto muttered.

Blue eyes widened as the car drifted around a corner, narrowly avoiding a bus. The bus driver honked his horn angrily, and Seto sighed softly. He demanded the driver to stop the car, and was ignored. He grimaced as the gears were changed, making that horrible metal sound of an amateur driver.

The car finally screeched to a halt beside a beach. Seto got out of the car, ripped open the driver's door and pulled the man out. He slammed the back against the vehicle, glaring at the shadowed face. He was going to kill that man.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"It was my first time driving stick," a familiar voice stated.

Seto stepped back, staring at Yami. The hat was removed, and Seto came to see that it wasn't Yami; it was Atem. He dreaded to ask where his real driver was. If that was Yami's evil side, then not even god knew what had happened.

"Atem…"

Atem threw the hat through the still open door. "You were looking for us," he said matter-of-factly. "Why will you not leave us alone?"

Seto had asked himself that question many times since he began his little search. He had come to several answers. It was the way Yami had looked. It was the way he had spoken. It was the fact that he had been missing for six months, and suddenly appeared out of nowhere. They were all good reasons, and hid the real one brilliantly.

"How can anyone leave you alone when you look like that?" Seto gestured to the shared body. "You look like you were tortured."

At the last word, the confident violet eyes glazed over. They became glazed, unfocused and Seto got the feeling he was dealing with Yami again. What kind of battle was raging inside the Pharaoh's mind?

Yami stared at Seto, dumbfounded. After a few moments, he grinned like a child. "You didn't hide very well!"

Seto blinked. What was he meant to say to that? It was like speaking with Mokuba, on a sugar rush. "You didn't count to fifty," he said softly.

Yami nodded, still smiling. "Okay! I'm sorry. I'll count to fifty, but you have to hide!" He turned towards the car. "One… Two… Three…"

Seto glanced over his shoulder. There wasn't anywhere to hide. And he wasn't going to run the risk of losing sight of Yami, and having Atem disappear again. Instead, he stayed where he was. When Yami reached fifty, he turned around.

"I found you!" he declared happily. He burst into a fit of giggles, which stopped abruptly. He stared off into the distance. "The smoke…"

Seto followed Yami's line of view. He couldn't see the smoke that Yami was talking about, and wondered if Yami had been on drugs for the last six months. "What smoke?"

Seto glanced back at Yami. The spirit was staring at his hands. "He let it clear…" Yami glanced up at Seto. "He let it clear."

Seto forced himself to place a hand on Yami's shoulder. "Who let what clear?"

"The smoke. It is gone."

Seto caught Yami as the spirit fainted. He had no idea what Yami was talking about, but laid him on the backseat of the car. He looked at the trunk when there was muffled screaming, and thumping. He opened it, staring down at his driver. So that was where he had been.

"I thought you were trained in self-defence?" Seto said, untying the man. "After tonight, you're fired."

* * *

Yami stared at the white ceiling. He was unsure where he was. It wasn't the dungeon he had grown accustomed to. There was a window. He could see snow falling silently outside. The room was massive. There was a computer set up in a corner. There was a large white door. The floor was covered in thick white carpet.

The bed was soft and warm. Where was the smoke?

_You fought me_, a voice answered. _I tried to protect you. You would not listen. Now you will have to deal with the memories._

Once the voice had finished speaking, the memories flooded him. He saw everything. It all played out before him like a silent movie. He could feel the fear, the disgust, and the shame. He could see it in everyone's eyes.

With a painful scream, Yami turned onto his side. He curled into himself, clutching his head. His breathing was rough, almost as though he was convinced that would help remove the pictures in his mind. _Why did I fight him?_ He knew the answer; he was curious.

Yami looked over his shoulder when he felt the bed dip slightly. Kaiba sat there, staring down at him. He didn't even remember seeing Kaiba before then. Was that where he was? Had Kaiba taken him in? Why would he?

"I was not sure if you wanted Yugi and the others to see you like this, so I haven't called them," Kaiba said softly. "You've been out for the last two days, screaming almost non-stop."

Kaiba reached out to touch his shoulder. Yami screamed, hunching his shoulders. Kaiba retracted his hand, and took a deep breath. Before he could stop himself, Yami felt tears falling from his eyes. Why was he still alive?

_I will not let you die_, the voice whispered.

Yami's body trembled. He stared out the window. He had to die. He would not allow himself to live. He didn't care who wanted him to. He would find a way of taking his own life, or finding someone who would. He refused to let a monster like himself live.

* * *

End Chapter I.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Please leave them in the form of a review.


	2. Chapter II

**Still Frame**

**Author:**  
Danaeyl Panthernopaeus.

* * *

_Such large, innocent eyes. The green pools were tainted with fear. At that age, they should have been lively with joy, curiosity and hope. Now they were just terrified. Terrified of what was going to happen to them. Terrified of defying the one that had kidnapped them. All of them were. They did not want to die. But they all knew there were worse fates than death._

"_I am sorry," he had said._

_The other had nodded. He knew that the one above him was not to blame. They were all doing everything they could to survive. Would it make them hate themselves any less if they were released? All of them highly doubted it. They would continue to live, and try to forget about what they had done. All of them would. And that included death._

* * *

Yami slowly opened his eyes. He stared out the window. Sleet, the mixture of snow and rain, pounded against the glass. He didn't move. He tried not to breathe. There were still memories that were hidden by the smoke. The other in his mind was still trying to protect him, and for that, Yami would be eternally grateful.

The door to the room opened.

Yami glanced at his wrists. He could see the evidence from when he had tried to take his own life. The scars were red. They glared at him. He had been taken to a hospital because of it. And no one there bothered to ask any questions. Every question that was asked was answered by the kidnappers. The nurses took what they said, including the lies of being family.

Something was placed on the bedside chest.

Yami's fingers twitched. He didn't want to know who it was. In fact, he only wanted to be alone. He wanted to wallow in self-pity for a little longer. He hoped that at some point he would be able to forget about everything that had happened. He wanted to move on with his life. But the memories were still there. He would always have them, but he wanted to be rid of them for a little while.

"I don't know if you're ready to eat, but I brought you something anyway."

Yami closed his eyes, curling into himself even more. Why did Kaiba have to be so nice? Since when was he like that, anyway? Why did it have to be him? Why couldn't Yugi have found him instead?

Yami frowned. He forgot about Yugi and the others. They would be so worried about him. How would be able to face them? If he told them anything that had happened, they would look at him like he was a monster. He could handle looking at himself like that. But what if Yugi started doing it? How would he survive?

Yami squeezed his eyes. He felt a warm presence wrap around him, as though he was being hugged. Gentle words were whispered through his tattered mind. Slowly, the smoke began to eat all the memories again. And this time, he would not try to pry his way through it. He would allow them to stay where they were. He didn't want to remember.

"I am sorry, Yami."

Yami's eyes flew open. What did Kaiba mean by that? Why was he sorry? Was the one that had done those things to him? Was he the one that had kidnapped him, and forced him to do those things to others? No. He was not responsible, but he felt like he was. Why would someone do something like that to themselves?

Yami closed his eyes again. He wanted to sleep, and not have nightmares about what had happened. According to Kaiba he had been missing for six months. It felt like six years, if truth were told. Every day he would pray that the sweet song of death would sing for him. Every day he would pray that the others captured with him would also feel the sweet abyss of death. And every day all of them had to suffer.

_You are free._

* * *

Seto watched as Yami fell into a fitful rest. It had been three days since Yami had woken up, and he still hadn't eaten anything. He was beginning to worry about the spirit. He didn't want to force food down Yami's throat, but if came to that, he would.

Seto glanced at the Puzzle, which was on the bedside chest. He had yet to call Yugi and tell him that Yami was with him. He still wasn't sure how the Pharaoh felt about being seeing all of them. He had thought about telling only Yugi, but got the feeling the small teen would tell the others. He didn't want all of them at his house. That was mainly because he didn't want Jounouchi to be there.

Seto sat at the desk. He continued to watch Yami sleep. He didn't know what to do. Yami hadn't spoken a word since he woke up. He usually communicated with a series of screams, whimpers or more screams. It wasn't something that Seto was accustomed to. Not hearing Yami's arrogant voice was something that he missed.

Seto closed his eyes. He hadn't been getting much sleep lately. With the production of his virtual world system nearing completion, and finding and caring for Yami, it left very little time for him to eat correctly or even get the recommended amount of sleep. The naps he took on the sofa were nice enough, but that was usually an hour before Mokuba returned from school.

Seto opened his eyes. He frowned when he saw Atem eating the food on the bedside chest. He figured it wouldn't be long before he took over Yami's body and made him eat. At least someone was doing something good for him.

Atem glanced at Seto. "Thank you," he said after he had finished.

Seto nodded. He forced himself onto his feet, and picked up the dishes. "Would you like a drink? I don't think you have been receiving enough fluids. That or your bladder is the size of Texas."

Atem nodded. "May I have a cup of milk tea?"

"Would you like any sugar?" Atem shook his head. "Very well. I'll be back up in a few minutes. Until then, the bathroom is through that door."

Seto pointed to the door beside the computer desk. Atem nodded again, slowly getting to his feet. Seto left the bedroom, going down the extravagant staircase. It was a little over an hour before Mokuba would return from school. He went into the kitchen, put the kettle on, washed the dishes and made Atem's tea.

Seto stared out the window. He had hired a new driver. One he hoped wouldn't be able to be overpowered by the spirit of a Pharaoh. He took the tea into the bedroom, and placed it on the bedside chest. He could hear the shower going in the bathroom, and decided that was a good thing. He would need to change the bed sheets, too. It wouldn't be doing much good for Yami to continue sleeping in them.

While he had the time, Seto quickly stripped the bed. He went into the closet, and got a clean set of sheets, a quilt, pillowcases and a cover for the quilt. He quickly remade the bed, and placed out some old clothing of his own. He doubted that Yami would fit into them, having lost so much weight. Still, it was better than wearing the filthy clothing he was in. He made a mental note to burn those clothes.

Seto picked up the dirty bedding, and took it downstairs. He threw it into the washing machine, set the preferences, and went into the living room. He collapsed on the sofa, and closed his eyes. He had just enough time for a nap, before Mokuba returned from school.

Before he went to sleep, Seto quickly clicked through his routine. He would have to help Mokuba with his homework, check on Yami, make dinner, check on Yami, attempt to eat, take some to Yami, check on Yami, and then do some work on the programming of the virtual world. Sometimes he wished that he had maids and butlers to do have of the work for him.

Seto fell into a light sleep. Unfortunately, it didn't stay that way. Before he knew it, Mokuba's voice was piercing his subconscious and he was forced to open his eyes. Seto sat up, and looked around. He had overslept from the look of things. He glanced at the clock on the VCR machine, and it blinked at him in all zeros. There must have been a blackout.

Seto followed Mokuba's voice into the dining room. He saw that his little brother had invited Yugi over, for some reason. Usually Mokuba asked to invite people over. Seto quickly checked his phone and saw that he had seven missed calls from Mokuba. Huh. Since when did Mokuba decide to bring people into the house of his own accord?

"Seto has been working a lot lately. So I should probably make him dinner," Mokuba said. "And I know that he's been looking after Y ––"

"Mokuba, have you finished your homework?" Seto cut in. He thought he had told Mokuba not to mention Yami being there. At least not until Yami gave the okay.

"Seto!" Mokuba grinned over his shoulder. "Yeah, I finished it all. Yugi helped me with it. And I'm sorry that I invited him over without your permission. I tried calling several times. And when you didn't answer, I decided it would be okay. We would stay downstairs while you worked upstairs." Mokuba lowered his eyes.

Seto placed a hand on his head, gently ruffling his hair. "You don't need to apologise, Mokuba. I'm sorry that I didn't answer my phone." He glanced at Yugi. "How are things going with the search for Yami?"

Tears entered Yugi's eyes, and he shook his head. "No one has seen him anywhere. No one even remembers seeing him in the last six months. If anyone else had said that they had seen him, I would have thought they were just toying with me. I'm really worried about him, Kaiba. I can't even reach him with our link. Every time I try to go to him, I'm blocked by black smoke."

"_The smoke is gone."_ Yami's words ran through Seto's mind. Was that Atem attempting to protect Yami from everything, including Yugi? That didn't seem right. If anyone could help the Pharaoh heal it would be Yugi, so Seto assumed.

Mokuba looked between his big brother and Yugi. Seto glared at him, and he knew not to mention that Yami was staying with them. Instead, he decided to lift Yugi's hope. "There hasn't been anything about a body being found, Yugi. I'm sure he's just travelling or something like that."

Yugi gave a pitiful smile. "Yeah… I'm sure that's what he's doing."

Seto decided to leave the munchkins alone, and got to work on dinner. He got the feeling that Yugi might be staying, and made extra. It wasn't anything fancy, just a warm salad. He wasn't in the mood to make anything fancier. If that was what Yugi wanted, then he could go home. He dished it up onto four plates, and took cutlery through to the dining room, along with Mokuba's and Yugi's share of the food. He was thanked, and Seto just nodded.

As Seto took Yami's upstairs, he hoped that Atem was still controlling the body.

* * *

_Yami didn't know what it was like to be tortured. He had never felt a pain like it before. The thin lines that were carved into his flesh, only to be coated quickly with salt. The sadistic laughter that haunted him. Everything was a torture. The screams of the people in the other rooms. Theirs ended quickly, though. That was not something that Yami had the pleasure of._

_No. His would last for hours. When they grew bored of cutting him, they would move onto something far worse. And he never thought that was possible._

_The first time was the worst. He had never been violated before. And it was an experience he never wanted to relive. He was chained to a trough. All he could see was his reflection. The fear that played through his eyes made him hate himself. How dare he be so weak! The presence of someone behind him had made him shudder in terror. The feel of hands over his naked body had made him want to vomit._

_And all the while he thought: _At least it will be over quickly.

_He had never been so wrong in his life. It had lasted an hour. While his anus was being torn, he was half drowned in the trough. He wasn't sure which was worse. The fact that every so often there was a point in him that made him enjoy it, or the fact that he was being taunted with the illusion of death._

_He had been thrown into a cage, coughing up water and shivering. There was a voice that spoke to him, but he couldn't remember what it had said. Or what it had even sounded like. Then there was a flash of hair, and the person disappeared into the darkness. All he had wanted was to die._

* * *

Yami woke with a start. He gripped the sheets that gave him the falsity of being safe. He still wasn't in the dungeon. He was somewhere safe. Somewhere where he could forget about what had happened. Somewhere where he could forget about what he had done. Somewhere where everything he feared was nothing but a bad dream.

But it was all a fantasy.

He would not be safe until he was dead. He would not forget about what had happened to him until he was dead. He would not forget about what he had done until he was dead. The world would be much better off without him. The people he had hurt would get that small piece of closure at least.

With that in mind, Yami threw back the covers of the bed. He went over to the window and stared down at the ground. He was not up high enough to kill himself. But he would find a way to make sure that he did die.

The roof.

He opened the window. He was surprised that he had the energy to do anything, when he thought about it. He had not eaten in days, or even weeks. And someone had bathed him, as well. He had the soft scent of jasmine and sandalwood on his skin. He climbed onto the windowsill, and stuck his head out.

If he did jump from that height, it might be hours before Kaiba found him. He might be able to die in that time. At least that way Yugi would stop worrying about him. He would be dead. And then he wouldn't be a monster. He wouldn't have to explain what he did to anyone. He wouldn't have to deal with their looks of disgust.

But more importantly… He would be free.

_Even if it is the coward's way out, at least I won't be living in this nightmare,_ he told himself. _I won't be a burden to anyone anymore. I won't…_ A tear fell from his eye as he stared at the snow covered ground.

Kaiba had taken him in, without any questions. He had given him a place of warmth, safety and moderate mutual consideration. He had not thanked the CEO for doing that for him. Instead, all he was going to do was to give Kaiba a reason to hate him. Kaiba was not going to enjoy explaining to anyone why the King of Games was found dead on his property.

But that didn't matter.

The bedroom door opened. He heard Kaiba call out his name. The sound of a plate hitting floor seemed to echo through his mind. He took a deep breath, and jumped from the windowsill. Kaiba called his name again. And again, he ignored the CEO.

_I'm free._

* * *

End Chapter II.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Leave them in the lovely form of a review.

**Mink Mother:** Yes, it is me. Yes, it is a new personality. Not sure if I like it, though. However, glad you are enjoying it. I will continue to post for you.

Thank you to the people who have alerted and added to favourites.


	3. Chapter III

**Still Frame**

**Author:**  
Danaeyl Panthernopaeus.

* * *

…_I'm free._

Seto ran to the window. He grabbed Yami's wrist. Violet eyes looked up at him, almost beseeching him to let go. Yami's mouth parted. His lips formed words, but Seto didn't care in the slightest what he had to say. Whatever had happened to him was no reason for him to want to kill himself.

Seto pulled Yami back into the room. It was a time like that that Seto was grateful Yami had lost all that weight. Pulling him up had been a lot easier. He still held Yami's wrist, not sure if he trusted the Pharaoh enough to let him go. He looked at the mess of hair on his chest.

Yami raised his head, staring at him. Seto got the feeling that the spirit was probably hating him right about now. It wasn't anything new. It might even get Yami to speak to him. He might be able to find out what was going on. He didn't have high hopes for it, but that didn't stop him. He wanted to know what would cause someone like Yami to attempt suicide.

Instead, tears fell from Yami's eyes. He tried to remove his wrist from Seto's grip with a gentle tug. Deciding that he wasn't going to do anything stupid, Seto let him go. Yami trudged back to the bed, and threw himself onto it. He crawled under the covers, and pulled them over his head in an attempt to shut out the world.

Seto stood, looking at the small lump beneath the thick covers. He quickly closed and locked the window, figuring the best way to stop any more attempts via the window would be to chain it shut. Until he did that, he would have to settle with locking it. He went over to the bed, kneeling beside it.

"I am sorry, Yami," he whispered.

A muffled sob was his reply. Seto sighed quietly, and went about cleaning up the mess he had made with Yami's dinner. He knew he would have to hire someone to remove the stain of the balsamic vinegar. It was not a high priority. As it was, he wasn't in the mood to clean it up. But the last thing he wanted was to leave it there overnight.

With the mess cleaned, Seto went downstairs. Yugi had left, and had thankfully not seen anything on his way out. Mokuba had gone to his room, likely getting ready to settle down for the night. Seto went into the living room. He turned on the television, deciding to catch the late night news.

"… And now our top story. Several of the missing teenagers have been returned to their families. None of them have spoken a word about what happened to them. Three of the eight that had been returned a little over a week ago have been reported to have committed suicide in the last few days. The investigation into the abductions is still ongoing. If anyone has any information, please…"

Seto tuned out what the woman was saying. He had forgotten about the kidnappings that were happening all around Domino. Teenagers of every gender, height, weight and ethnic background were being taken, roughly around the same time that Yami had disappeared. The only thing that all of them had in common was that they were sixteen to eighteen years old. With the exception of Yami, considering he is an ancient spirit. But it was likely that the kidnappers didn't know that.

So the people had released nine of their captives, including Yami. Three had killed themselves, and Yami would have been number four. That meant that there were five others. Maybe he could find out who they were, and take Yami to them.

No. That was a stupid idea.

If Yami had been part of the group that had been released, the last thing he would need would be memories of his time away. Seto might be a heartless bastard, but he knew for a fact that he wasn't a fucking heartless bastard. He knew that the best way to deal with an issue like Yami would be patience. He would have to wait until the spirit spoke to him.

And while Yami wasn't talking, maybe Atem will. It was possible. He was the only one that would speak to Seto. That had to count for something. Maybe he could question Atem about it. There was never any harm in trying.

Seto went back upstairs, after turning off the television. He went into his bedroom, and saw that Atem was waiting for him. The tanned spirit sat on the edge of the bed, staring intently at the door. He raised an eyebrow slightly when Seto entered.

"I believe you want to interrogate me?"

Seto shook his head. "No, I do not want to 'interrogate' you. I wish to speak to you about what happened to Yami. Why were you not able to put a stop to it?"

Atem's eyes widened slightly. "It might have something to do with the fact that Yami did not want me present. He tried to protect me from what he was being put through. I thought it was adorable, and decided to let him do it. After all, when he was released he would need someone strong to protect him."

"And you're protecting him by filling his mind with smoke?"

Atem looked at the carpet. "If he doesn't remember, then he won't feel the pain. Unfortunately, when he fought his way to his memories, I was unable to mask the pain. He might not be consciously fighting his way to his memories, but subconsciously he is. Every time he sleeps, he sees more of the horrors he was forced to live through."

Seto crossed his arms over his chest. "You know who is responsible for it. Why don't you tell him?"

Atem got to his feet. "Because I plan on telling you. You can do something with the information, Yami cannot. It will put him through even more pain. Now tell me, Kaiba, what are you like it comes to torturing someone?"

Seto's eyes widened as a name rolled off of Atem's tongue.

* * *

Yami frowned as there was a soft humming. He opened his eyes, realising that he had just had a decent night of rest. There were not any memories that haunted him. He felt peaceful, for the first time in such a long time.

_Am I dead?_ He knew it was a stupid question. He was not dead. He was not allowed that sort of comfort. Instead, he sat up and looked around for the source of the humming. He saw Kaiba sitting at the desk, typing away on the computer.

When Kaiba noticed he was awake, the humming stopped but not the typing. Yami lowered his eyes. He had no idea that Kaiba hummed while he was working. It seemed so human to do something like that. Of course, Kaiba was human but that didn't make it any less weird.

"Are you hungry?" Kaiba asked.

Yami shook his head. He really could not be bothered with trying to eat. The shame of attempting suicide, and being caught doing it was still running through his mind. The fact that he was going to do it on Kaiba's property made him wonder where in the Shadow Realm his mind was.

"Are you thirsty?"

Yami slowly raised his eyes. He nodded slowly, only just realising how parched his throat was. He watched as Kaiba got to his feet, and only just realised that the CEO was dressed for bed. And he then noticed that he was not in his clothing. He wanted to ask about it, but figured that his own clothing was not in the best of conditions after six months.

"Would you like a cup of milk tea?"

Again Yami nodded. When he was alone, Yami flopped back on the bed. After a peaceful night's rest he felt a lot better. He didn't feel as bad as he been. It was as though something really good had happened, but he had no idea what it was. He didn't know if the bastards that had kidnapped him had been found.

After a few minutes, Yami slowly got to his feet. He looked around the room, really taking in every little detail. He didn't realise how bare it was until then. The dresser held one picture of Mokuba. The Puzzle was on the bedside chest, but Yami wasn't certain if he wanted to touch it. Other than the computer, the Puzzle and the picture there wasn't anything out of place.

But there was a dark patch near the door.

Yami was staring at it when the door opened. Kaiba entered with two cups in his hands. He frowned slightly when he saw that Yami was up, but obviously decided not to ask any questions about. Instead, he handed one of the cups to the Pharaoh and took his place at the computer again.

Yami took a sip of the tea, grateful to know that Kaiba didn't put sugar in it. "What…happened to me?"

Kaiba looked at Yami. "I don't know," he answered after a long pause. "And if you don't remember, perhaps that is for the best."

Yami lowered his gaze. He knew that part. But he was hoping that someone would be able to answer his questions. It seemed that Kaiba didn't want to talk about it. From what Yami could sense, Kaiba was harbouring a lot of anger about the issue. That wasn't something that Yami had expected.

Why could he still feel the shame? He had no memory of what had happened, but he knew something really _bad_ had taken place. Why couldn't he remember that? Had his mind finally locked away everything? Is that what was happening to him? Is that why he was able to have a peaceful slumber?

"Kaiba…I want to know," Yami whispered.

The clicking of the keyboard continued. "No, you don't."

"I _need_ to know what happened," Yami said a little louder.

"No."

"Kaiba, please just tell me."

The clicking stopped, and Kaiba glared at the spirit, who shrank back slightly. "I will not tell you what happened. I will not have you relive those memories. They have finally been locked away. It took Atem three days just to do it."

Yami's eyes widened. He had been asleep for the last three days? He sat on the bed, drinking his tea. He had no idea that the subject would be so touchy for Kaiba. After all, it wasn't as though it had happened to him.

Yami closed his eyes. That was selfish. It might not have happened to Kaiba, but he was the one who was willingly picking up the pieces. He was the one doing some of the mending. He was helping, because Yami had broken down. He was the one who had saved his life.

The typing continued, though it sounded a little more furious than before. Yami finished his tea, and glanced at the CEO. Kaiba's eyes were tired, as though he was forcing himself to stare at the screen owlishly. Yami never realised just how tiring that could be, much less looking after him in the process.

Yami stared into the bottom of the tea cup. "Kaiba?" he said softly, scared that he would be burned.

"What?" Kaiba asked coldly.

"Thank you."

The clicking died off, and Yami slowly raised his eyes to look at Kaiba. The CEO gazed at him with soft eyes, as though he was truly grateful to hear those words.

"You're welcome, Yami."

* * *

Yami spent the next two days getting everything in order. Kaiba had told him that as far as Yugi knows he was spending time around Japan. Yami wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to lie to Yugi. But he knew that sometimes a small lie was better than the cold, harsh truth.

On the second day, Kaiba returned Yami to the game shop. Yami had sat in the back of the car for a long time, tyring to work up his courage to step out. He wasn't sure what it was going to be like seeing the others, after such a long time. And he was still in Kaiba's clothing.

With a deep breath, Yami looked at the CEO. "I really have to do this on my own, don't I?"

"You were the one who said it would be more believable if you showed up alone. I still think you should wait a few more weeks. You don't look like you've been travelling." Kaiba glanced at Yami. The clothing he wore still hung from his body. "You look as though you starved yourself for the past six months."

Yami lowered his eyes. He was desperate to see Yugi again. But he knew that Kaiba held a good point. He had been so overwhelmed about seeing his light again that everything else had left his mind. Maybe a little longer apart won't hurt them.

"I don't have to do it today," Yami murmured, gripping the material of the pants. "I think I should look the same as when I left."

"That is going to be a little difficult. The clothes you were wearing were destroyed, and I threw them out." Kaiba snapped his fingers, and the car lurched forward slightly as it pulled away from the curb. "I will take you shopping. It turns out that my clothing doesn't really suit you as well as leather does."

Yami's eyes widened. He stared at Kaiba, almost as though he was seeing the CEO for the first time. If truth were to be told, he did feel as though he didn't know this Kaiba. It was like meeting a new person. Kaiba had yet to say one insult. Instead, he had been protecting Yami as best as he could.

"You don't have to do that, Kaiba," Yami said, still staring at the businessman. "I'm certain I can find a way to pay for my clothing myself."

Kaiba shook his head. "No. I don't have a problem with buying clothing for you, Yami. And not only that, but I get the feeling you have expensive taste. It would take you three months to save up, if you worked a minimum wage job." He looked at Yami, and smiled slightly. "It really is no problem on my behalf."

Yami could feel his eyes soften. Kaiba had never smiled at him before, and Yami wasn't sure if he liked that or the arrogant smirk more. "So… I need to fatten up and get new clothing. And then pretend that I have travelled around Japan. That sounds easy enough."

Seto nodded. He wasn't going to tell Yami that Yugi already knew about what had happened. He had discussed it with Atem, and the Pharaoh had agreed that Yugi would need to know the truth. After all, he would be able to tell the others the little story, and they would believe him. He would also be able to answer any questions.

However, Kaiba had made sure that Yugi wouldn't reveal he knew about Yami's time away. Not that he knew much about it. Kaiba had been as vague as humanly possible about what had happened. Once Atem told him all the details, Kaiba saw red for hours. Those little details were not something that Yugi needed to know.

Once they were back at the mansion, Yami slipped out of the car with grace, something that Kaiba forgot he possessed. They went inside, and Kaiba put the kettle on. He had grown quite fond of milk tea, thanks to that being the only thing that Yami drank. He took out a blueberry muffin and handed it to Yami.

"So I guess the only thing we can do now is wait, right?" Yami inquired as he picked at the muffin.

"Eat the muffin, Yami. Once you've put on weight, we'll take you shopping and then we can return to Yugi." Kaiba stared at the whistling kettle. He turned it off, and poured the water into the two cups. "And I suppose you'll want your own room?"

Yami paused, his hand halfway to his mouth. "Actually… No. I like where I am. If you want me to have my own room, I will not argue."

Kaiba nodded, pouring milk into the cups. "You are free to stay in my room as long as you like, Yami." He returned the milk to the fried, and stirred the drinks, taking the cups over to the counter where Yami was sitting.

Yami smiled. "What do we do now?"

* * *

End Chapter III.

I do apologise for any mistakes in here. Unfortunately, I am a little jetlagged at the moment.  
Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Leave them in a review.


	4. Chapter IV

**Still Frame**

**Author: **  
Danaeyl Panthernopaeus.

* * *

For Yami, the next two weeks were filled with him trying to gain as much weight as possible. He needed to get back to the way he looked when Yugi saw him last. He had spent much time in the Kaiba mansion library, enjoying Kaiba's vast selection of books. He watched television, and found that he liked the cooking channels a lot.

Kaiba had decided to start attending school again, as he had been away for the last two weeks. That day when he returned, he had a guest with him. Yami knew that it was Yugi. He was half-tempted to run upstairs, and lock himself away in Kaiba's room. He was still debating with himself when Yugi ran into the living room.

"Yami!" he cried, throwing himself onto the Pharaoh.

Yami glanced at Kaiba, who walked through into the kitchen. Yami slowly wrapped his arms around Yugi, hugging him tightly. He smiled when he heard Yugi's sobbing, and knew that it must have been difficult for the little one to live without knowing what had happened to him. He wanted to know how Yugi knew he was back, though.

Yami gently stroked Yugi's hair, trying his best to comfort his light. After a few minutes, Yugi pulled back slightly. He looked up at Yami, tears still running down his face. There was a touch of guilt in his violet eyes, and Yami got to his feet. Yugi knew that he hadn't been travelling around the country. How had he found out? Did Kaiba tell him?

"Kaiba thought it would be best if I knew the truth," Yugi answered quietly. "If I had known that you had been kidnapped I would have looked harder. I would have tried everything possible to get you back. I'm so sorry, Yami!"

Yami knew he would have to talk to Kaiba about that. For the meantime, he wiped Yugi's tears away. "It was not your fault, Yugi. You have no reason to blame yourself."

Yugi nodded, his tears slowing but not stopping. "It doesn't change the fact that I should have been with you. I might have been able to do something – _anything_!"

Yami shook his head, and hugged his light again. "All that would have happened was you facing those sorts of horrors with me, Yugi. I am eternally grateful to know that you will never have to live that hell."

Eventually Yugi calmed down enough to tell Yami everything that had been happening at school. He made sure to tell the spirit what everyone was doing. Yami felt relief rush over his body. It was good to know that Yugi wouldn't ask him any questions, considering he couldn't give any answers. He could not remember a second from his time away; just that it was very bad.

At one point, Yugi asked, "Will you be coming home?"

Yami's eyes widened slightly. He had grown accustomed to Kaiba's bed, and the gentle scent of jasmine and sandalwood. The idea of returning to the game shop had never crossed his mind. It was something he didn't want to think about. He grown a little attached to Kaiba. He enjoyed falling asleep to the sound of the keyboard clicking. He still had no idea where Kaiba was sleeping, though.

Yugi noticed that Yami wasn't prepared to answer that question yet, and smiled. "Well, whenever you want to come back, you know we'll always be happy to have you back."

"Thank you, Yugi."

After another two hours of chatting, Yugi decided it was time that he headed home to do his homework, and to have dinner. He promised not to tell anyone that he was back, until Yami was ready to announce that he was back.

"By the way, Yami," Yugi said as he pulled his shoes on at the door. "You really need to go shopping soon. Kaiba's pyjamas don't suit you that well."

Yami looked down at the white pyjamas that he wore. He didn't think he looked _that_ bad in them. Granted they were still a little too big for him. But did he really that out of place that even his light had to tell him he needed to go shopping?

Yami smiled. "I will and soon. I promise, Yugi."

Yugi grinned, hugging Yami. "I'll see you again, soon." He waved as he ran down the driveway, and got into the car that Kaiba had arranged to take him home.

Yami waved until the car was out of sight, and closed the door. He went into the kitchen, and saw that Kaiba was expertly chopping vegetables. The brunet glanced up when Yami took a seat at the breakfast counter. The smells of dinner were delicious.

That was another reason why Yami didn't want to go back to the game shop. He found that he really enjoyed Kaiba's food. It wasn't the same thing over and over again. Every night Kaiba created a new meal, from a different country. From the look of things, Yami was guessing that they were having a kind of Chinese stir-fry.

"Something smells wonderful, Kaiba," Yami said, watching the up and down movement of the knife the CEO held. He was amazed that Kaiba hadn't lost a finger.

"That would be the chicken," Kaiba explained quietly, as though his mind was somewhere else. "Did you enjoy your time with Yugi?"

Yami dropped his gaze to the grey marble countertop. "Yes. Why did you tell him I was here?"

Kaiba went to the wok on the stove, poured in a little sesame oil, and began frying off the vegetables that would take the longest. "I felt he had a right to know you were back. After all, the two of you shared a body for quite some time."

Yami lightly scratched a fingernail over the smooth stone. "I understand," he said softly. "I wish you had told me that he knew. I would not have felt so guilty that day."

Kaiba didn't respond, and Yami let his mind wander. He regained a little of his lost weight, but Kaiba said there was still a long way to go. Yami raised his head when Mokuba ran into the kitchen. He took the stool beside Yami, grinning between the two of them.

"How are you, Yami?" Mokuba asked, grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl on the counter. "Did you and Yugi have fun?"

Yami forced himself to smile. The fact that his light knew more about his time away was something that worried Yami. Kaiba didn't trust him with the memories, but he would willingly tell someone like Yugi about what had happened? That didn't seem right. Not unless Kaiba omitted several details. After all, Yami didn't know how much Kaiba knew about his time away.

"Yes, we did," Yami answered slowly. He could feel Mokuba's eyes on him. "Did you have fun at school today?"

Mokuba grinned. "Yeah, it was a lot of fun! Oh, that reminds me! Seto, we're having a career week, and on Friday I have to bring my most successful parent to school. And since they know we don't have parents, they said it was okay if I bring you."

Kaiba nodded. "I would love to go, Mokuba. Is there any time I need to be there?"

Mokuba thought about it. "Well, you should probably go with me. I mean, you are busy with the new release being weeks away. So I'm sure if you explain that, then they'll let you go first so you can go back to work."

Yami watched the way that Kaiba and Mokuba spoke. He always knew that Kaiba was human around his brother, but he never expected to be part of the private stuff. There was something about the way Kaiba's eyes shone when he was speaking to his younger brother that made Yami smile.

Yami knew what kind of life they had had, as it was explained. Suddenly Kaiba looked at him, and Yami came to realise that he had been staring at the CEO, and smiling like a lovelorn fool. He quickly removed the smile, and nailed his gaze to the countertop.

Mokuba continued on with conversation, likely to have not noticed what just went down between his big brother and Yami. He was having too much fun saying that he would have the most successful person in, because no one else's parents ran their own multimillion dollar company.

Yami glanced at Mokuba. The smallest Kaiba was proud of how far his big brother had come in the world. He wasn't going to use it to make the other children envious, and that was something that Yami found he admired about Mokuba. It didn't matter what happened to him, he always believed that Seto would be there for him.

Yami's eyes drifted to Kaiba, who was dishing rice into three bowls. He could see how it was easy for someone to become attracted to Kaiba. He was extremely good looking, even if his personality towards the public left a little something to be desired. He was arrogant, but for good reason. But when he locked the world away, he became someone different. He was warmer than Yami ever thought he would be.

"Yami…" Kaiba started, placing a bowl in front of the Pharaoh. "If you're going to stare at me, could you do it a little more subtly?"

Yami blinked, and fought off a blush. "I apologise, Kaiba."

Kaiba stared. He placed a hand on Yami's head, and gently ruffled his multicoloured hair. "You do not need to apologise, Yami."

Mokuba giggled, covering his mouth as it was full. He swallowed, and raised an eyebrow when his big brother ran a hand down Yami's cheek, his thumb stroking the bone. His eyes widened. He fought to keep a grin off his face as he realised what was happening between the duelists. And he always thought his big brother would never find happiness.

"So when's the wedding?"

Kaiba and Yami stared at the grinning child. Kaiba quickly removed his hand, trying to ignore Mokuba's singing. "Seto and Yami, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes the ––"

"Enough, Mokuba," Kaiba stated, shooting a warning look at him.

"But big brother! I can't believe I never saw it before!" Mokuba laughed.

Yami smiled and shook his head. "Mokuba, I can assure that there is nothing going on between your big brother and me."

"Well, I know that. Obviously," Mokuba said, rolling his eyes. "But the two of you want there to be something. I see it all the time on that after school shows. Okay, sure. Two weeks in their world takes eight months, but it is pretty much the same thing!"

Kaiba stared at Mokuba with wide eyes, unable to believe what he was hearing. Yami joined Mokuba in his laughing. "At least you know now, Kaiba," Yami said breathlessly, wiping his eyes.

"Know what? That you have the hots for? That Mokuba watches some serious crap on the television? Or that he will have no problem with me dating you?" Kaiba shook his head. "I already know about all three of those things."

Yami's pupils dilated for a second, before he narrowed his eyes. "I don't have the hots for you, Kaiba," he stated defiantly.

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "Yami, you can lie to yourself all you want, but I know the truth. Everyone finds me attractive."

Yami flicked a pea at Kaiba. "There's a difference between arrogance and idiocy."

Kaiba threw a piece of zucchini at Yami. "I know that, Yami. It doesn't change the fact that I'm right, or the fact that you have the hots for me."

Mokuba watched as Yami and Seto got into a small food fight, which quickly escalated. He didn't have time to dodge a chunk of rice, which was deflected in his direction. He shook his head, got to his feet and went to the pantry. He pulled out the tomato sauce and the mustard.

"Alright!" he declared, twirling the bottles around as though they were guns. "I have the condiments, and I'm not afraid to use them!"

Kaiba and Yami looked at the child, smirking before they pounced on him. In a mix of red and yellow, Mokuba reached into the pantry, trying to lay a hand on something that could save him. He grabbed a bag, opened it, and threw the contents over the two that were attacking him. In a cloud of white smoke, everyone stopped what they were doing to cough.

Yami wiped his eyes, and saw the refresher bottle for the tomato sauce. With a wicked grin, he picked it up, removed the cap and stood above Kaiba. "All right, Seto. You have two choices here. One, you can admit that you're wrong, and that I don't have the hots for you. Or two, you can get sauced."

Mokuba stared up at Yami. "He's not bluffing, big brother! He's crazy enough to do it!"

Kaiba chuckled. "I got with option three." He swept Yami's legs out from under him.

Yami gasped as he fell onto his back, the sauce pouring onto his face. He threw the bottle at Kaiba, and scooped up a handful of the red liquid. When Kaiba deflected the bottle, Yami threw the handful of sauce at the CEO, cheering when he got him right in the face.

Kaiba opened his eyes. He stared down at Yami, who was covered in tomato sauce, with streaks of mustard and flour. The white pyjamas he wore would be forever stained. With a smirk, he went over to the refrigerator, and pulled out a can of whipped cream.

"Let's see how sweet you really are, Yami."

Yami stared at the can, trying to get to his feet. He slipped on one of the condiments. "No! Kaiba, think about what you're doing!"

"Oh, I know exactly what I'm doing," Kaiba said with a smirk that made Bakura's look innocent.

Kaiba froze as something cold was poured over his head. He looked at the counter and saw Mokuba standing there, a bottle of orange juice in his hand. "Ha! Mokuba rules, you two drool!" He laughed maniacally, jumping off the counter. He ran past Yami, and slipped in the condiment mess. "I still rule!"

"Two birds, one stone," Kaiba said with a shrug of the shoulders. He removed the cap from the can, and sprayed Yami and Mokuba.

Yami got to his feet, and tackled Kaiba around the waist. He took hold of the can, and used Kaiba's finger to spray the CEO. Yami's eyes flashed in victory, which soon disappeared when he got a bag of rolled oats dumped over his head. He looked up at Mokuba. He thought that Mokuba was his ally in this little battle.

While Yami was distracted, Kaiba changed their positions. "You might be King of Games, but I am the King of Food-Fights." Kaiba smirked, ignoring the beeping of the microwave. "Now, admit that you have the hots for me, and I'll ––" He broke off, staring straight ahead. "Mokuba? Did you just put icecream down the back of my pants?"

"I am the King of Food-Fights!" Mokuba lost his grin when he saw Seto's eyes turn to him. "Oh, I think its bedtime! Night!" He put the container of icecream on the counter, and ran out of the kitchen.

When they were alone, Yami smiled. He ran a finger over Kaiba's cheek, scooping up a little of the cream. "Hm, it isn't too bad."

Kaiba got to his feet, feeling the icecream run down his legs. He tried not to shudder. "I think we should shower, and then you're helping me clean up this mess."

As Kaiba turned around to walk out of the kitchen, Yami burst out laughing. Even though Kaiba's pants were black, the icecream that Mokuba used could be seen. "Chocolate, huh?"

* * *

End Chapter IV.

Please review.

Thanks to everyone who has favourited and followed this story. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	5. Chapter V

**Still Frame**

**Author: **  
Danaeyl Panthernopaeus.

* * *

Once the mess had been cleaned, Yami showered and now sat in Kaiba's bed, watching the brunet type away on the computer. He was working up the courage to ask Kaiba about how much Yugi knew of his time away, but didn't want to disturb the CEO while he worked. He had been spending a lot of time out of the house, lately.

Yami glanced at the window, watching as the snow swirled around outside. He then glanced back at the brunet. He repeated the same pattern for a few minutes, before the clicking stopped, and Kaiba stretched his arms above his head. Yami thought that would be his time to ask his questions, but the typing resumed.

Yami chewed his lower lip, and eventually Kaiba sighed quietly. "I can multitask, Yami. If you have questions, you don't need to glance around like a nervous bunny."

Yami blinked. A nervous bunny? Seriously? "I was just wondering how much you told Yugi."

Kaiba stopped what he was doing, and lowered his eyes. "I only told him that you had been kidnapped. As with you, I did not think he would want to know the details."

Yami nodded slowly. Kaiba seemed to take it that the discussion was over, and went back to typing. Yami looked at the Puzzle, before he laid down. He turned onto his side, facing the door. He closed his eyes, listening to clicking of the keyboard.

There was a chime from the computer, and Yami assumed that Kaiba had received an email. After a few seconds, Kaiba got to his feet, shut down the computer and went into the closet. He emerged two minutes later, dressed in a grey suit. He pushed his hair back for a moment, and looked at Yami.

"I need to go out for a little while. Will you be okay on your own?" Sapphire eyes slid over to the window, and Yami pulled the covers up.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Yami muttered, closing his eyes.

Kaiba left the room, and Yami got to his feet. He went over to the window, and watched as the CEO walked down the driveway. The car pulled around, and drove off once Kaiba was inside. Yami tilted his head to the side.

Kaiba had been doing that a little too often. Yami didn't think that the people working at the office at those hours were _that_ incompetent. But he had been wrong before. It seemed that every night Kaiba had to leave in order to take care of some mistake.

Yami went back to bed. If it was anything like it usually was, Kaiba would be back in a few hours. And he was likely to be angry about something.

* * *

Seto stared out the window of the car, watching as urban society flashed past. When it become industrial, he straightened his tie and got ready for the little meeting that was going to happen. The car pulled up outside of a warehouse, and Kaiba got out. He told the new driver to keep the car running, as he wasn't expecting to be that long.

Seto entered the warehouse. It was surprisingly well lit. He saw the team of welders and engineers he had hired two weeks ago. They looked up, saw that it was their boss, and carried on with their work. The foreman came out of the office, and extended his hand to the millionaire teenager.

"Mister Kaiba, I do believe you will be happy with what we have to show you tonight," he said, his dark eyes twinkling.

"It has been two weeks of you working around the clock. It should be finished by now."

Foreman smiled nervously, before he cleared his throat. "Unfortunately, as you can imagine there were some minor setbacks. Namely the testing division, but they believe that we have finally perfected all the designs that you wanted."

Seto went into a separate room, looking as all of his toys were complete. His eyes shone with an emotion that the Foreman was a little scared of. He had no idea that those machines would cause so much joy in someone.

"They're perfect. And the testing division has cleared them?" Seto looked over his shoulder.

Foreman nodded. "Yes. They can do everything you wanted them to do, without breaking. Would you like us to move them to secondary location now?"

Seto looked over his toys, frowning. "There is one missing. Actually, I think it is a pair."

Foreman nodded. "We are having a little difficulty with those. The engineers are currently speaking with the blacksmiths about it. No one can understand what's wrong with the design, and the welders are ––"

Seto narrowed his eyes, growling. "All I'm hearing is a bunch of excuses. If they aren't ready in two days, every member of this little crew will be my dummy to test out these machines. Do I make myself clear?"

"V-V-Very much so, Mister Kaiba."

"Good," Seto snapped. "Do not contact me again until they are ready."

Seto walked out of the room, his mind turning with ideas. He would need to plan out how he was going to play with them. He didn't want it to be over quickly, as he knew he wouldn't get bored. But he didn't want the others to find it boring, and pass out.

Seto fished his phone out of his pocket when it vibrated. He quickly read the message, and narrowed his eyes. He sent his reply, and got into the car. He had been hoping everything would go smoothly. He thought that two weeks would have been more than enough time for him to launch his newest products. It would seem that he had underestimated the stupidity of people.

Once they entered society again, Seto told his driver to stop. He felt like walking for a little. He instructed his driver to go back home. If he needed help – which he highly doubted – he would call. He waited until the car had rounded a corner before he started walking.

As he walked, Seto undid the buttons on his jacket. They were following him, as they had been for the last eight days. They were curious, and Seto did not blame them. If he saw himself going out at odd hours during the night, he would want to know what was happening. They would never get close enough to the warehouse to see what surprises were hidden inside.

Seto paused outside of an alley. He slipped out of his jacket. Did they really think they would be able to get the jump on him? He was Seto freaking Kaiba (accept no substitutes). Nothing ever took him by surprise, except himself sometimes. And that was only sometimes. And those sometimes were only recently.

Seto closed his eyes. "Look, if you're going at attack me, then do it already! This little game is starting to bore me. And you won't like me when I'm bored."

Seto turned around. The people that were following him had run off. He sighed. That was anticlimactic. He continued walking down the street, stopping at a twenty-four hour coffee shop. He got his usual, and took a seat in the alfresco area. He was out there alone, as the other patrons didn't want to sit outside while it was snowing.

As he sat, he thought. As he thought, he grew angrier and angrier. The words Atem had told him continued to roll around his mind like a leaf on the ocean. The more he thought about, the more sense it made. And he was looking forward to dishing out some justice.

* * *

Yami opened his eyes slightly when he heard the bedroom door open. "Kaiba?" he asked softly, almost as though he was scared that it wasn't the CEO.

"Yes. Did I wake you?"

Yami's eyes closed. He heard the closet door open, and then close a minute later. "No," he answered. "I was waiting for you."

"You can barely keep your eyes open, Yami. Go back to sleep."

Yami was asleep before Seto had finished what he was saying.

Seto smiled as he watched Yami sleep. The spirit looked peaceful, compared to the last few times Seto had watched him. He was about to set up the cot, when he heard something downstairs. It wasn't anything that would be out of place if Mokuba was known for getting midnight snacks. It might have been normal if Seto had maids.

The only person Seto could think of was the driver, but he wouldn't invite himself into the house. He had made sure that that man knew where he stood. And not only that, but his driver wouldn't need to break a window.

With that thought, Seto quickly slipped out of the bedroom. He went downstairs. He heard voices whispering about how bad the security was for a place like this. He wrinkled nose at the strong scent of alcohol. If they breathed on him, Seto knew he would fall to the floor in a heap. It was making him tipsy just from the fumes coming from their bodies.

Seto's eyes widened when he felt a presence behind him. He spun around, catching another by the throat. He slammed the back of the person's skull into a wall, content with the lifeless flop the body did. He went into the kitchen, and saw that the people were going through the refrigerator. And their words got him thinking – how in the hell had he forgotten to set the alarm?

Seto frowned. There was only one person, and he seemed to be talking to himself. Set was certain that he had heard two voices from the kitchen. He winced slightly as he was jerked around by the shirt of his pyjamas. The buttons popped and flew in every direction, thankfully getting his attacker in the eye.

Seto's elbow connected with his attacker's temple, and the side of his head hit the edge of the counter as he fell. If he wasn't dead, he wouldn't be waking for a long while. The other seemed to finally notice was going on, and had picked up a knife from the block.

Seto's attention was drawn back to the drunk when he felt the blade slice across his back. Blood flowed down his back, and Seto growled. He kneed the drunk in the rubs, and received a cut across his ribs. Seto took hold of the arm that held the weapon, and jerked it upwards. He was happy with the sickening sound of the elbow dislocating.

The drunk howled in pain, and finally dropped the knife. Seto grabbed the front of the dark robes the man was wearing. "What are you doing in my house?" he demanded.

The drunk just held his arm, practically crying. Seto asked his question again, and still received no answer. He knocked the man out, and decided to find the one he had first attacked in the hallway. He hoped he would get an answer from him.

Seto turned on the lights, and saw that the unconscious man was slowly coming around. He crouched over the robed figure, his eyes flashing with rage. He would be damned if he was going to move. The last thing he needed was for Mokuba and Yami to not feel safe there.

"What are you doing in my house?"

The man groaned, blinking his shifty pale blue eyes. "We are only following orders. We were told to break in, and attack. That's all!"

"Really?" Seto inquired with a smirk.

"Kaiba?" Yami asked, as he walked down the stairs rubbing his eyes. "Is something going on down here?"

Seto's eyes widened. Yami's eyes flickered from him to the man, and fear flashed through the violet orbs. Unfortunately so did recognition, the one thing Seto was hoping he wouldn't see. The man beneath Seto started to laugh.

"I remember you!" he said. "You were our favourite. It was just a pity that the clients grew bored with you!"

Even though he wanted to know more, Seto didn't want Yami to be hurt anymore. He snapped the man's neck, and went over to Yami. And suddenly it was as though Yami hadn't seen the man. His eyes went to Seto's torso.

"Are you okay, Yami?" Seto asked, ignoring the fact that he knew he was wounded.

"Who cares about me? We need to get you to a hospital!"

Seto looked up when he saw the flashing lights of the police in the front yard. He hadn't forgotten to set the alarm. At least he could be grateful about that fact. It didn't change the fact that something had sparked in Yami's memory. It didn't seem to be bothering him, though. And Seto couldn't be sure if he could thank Atem for that.

Seto unlocked the door, allowing the police into his house. One of the officers called for an ambulance, while another checked the pulse of the one that Seto had killed. He always thought it would be difficult to take someone's life. It wasn't nearly as bad as he thought it would be. He dreaded to think of what he could have done if Mokuba had been in danger.

Seto quickly ran upstairs. He checked Mokuba's room, grateful to know that he was safe. He was sleeping through all the commotion. Knowing that everything he cared about was safe, Seto felt the adrenaline leaving his body. Unfortunately, that meant that he could feel the pain from the cuts on his body.

Seto went down stairs, holding his head up. He could hear Yami lying to police about why the man was dead, saying that he had attacked Seto, who had just defended himself. At least that was something less he would have to worry about. All he had to do was get a few guard dogs, replace a window, and figure out why the kidnapping syndicate or cult had found out what he was up to. It was the only reason of as to why they would foolishly try to attack him in his home.

"Yami, could you look after Mokuba while I'm at the hospital? If I'm not back when he wakes up, just tell him that I'm at the office. _Do not_ tell him about anything you saw."

Yami nodded, watching as Seto was escorted out of the house by a paramedic. He went upstairs, and went into Mokuba's room. His mind was still reeling from what he had seen. He could have sworn that he recognised the man that Seto had killed, but he had no idea where from. That was something he could worry about later.

Yami sat in a chair beside Mokuba's bed, not sure if he would be able to sleep. Instead, he would rather be in Mokuba's room, in case whoever had been stupid enough to send morons into the Kaiba Mansion would send in someone else. Yami would be damned if he would let anything happen to Mokuba. That child was Seto's most precious possession.

The man had spoken to Yami, as though they knew each other. His voice was horrible. It was nowhere near as smooth and sexy as Seto's. And Yami was almost certain he would remember a voice like that. Was he someone from the six months he had no memory of?

Yami's eyes widened. "Yugi…"

* * *

End Chapter V.

I do apologise if it seems that story is flip-flopping from serious to humorous, and finally back to serious. Unfortunately, the original concept of this story did not do anything for me. So I am rewriting.  
And my jetlag is taking forever to clear up.

**FanFicGurl101:** Thank you for your review. I am glad you enjoyed the food fight.

Thank you to the people who alerted/favourited. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.

Please review.


	6. Reader Discretion is Advised!

**Still Frame**

**Author:**  
Danaeyl Panthernopaeus.

**Author's Note:**  
This chapter will contain a high amount of somewhat graphic torture. Reader discretion is advised.

* * *

Seto's eyes widened as he stared at the state the kitchen was in. Even after the food fight it was nowhere near as bad as it was now. Three of his best baking trays were covered in something, which he was almost certain he didn't want to know about. There was icing on the walls. There was fluffy butter over the counters, and had even somehow found its way onto the ceiling.

"Dear god…" Seto finally looked at the two standing before him. "What in the world happened? Were we robbed?"

Yami lowered his eyes, staring at the tray of cupcakes, éclairs and other baked treats. "Well, I had been watching the cooking channel a lot, and I wanted to give it a go. It turns out I don't know the difference between Celsius and Fahrenheit. They might be a little burnt on the bottom, but they turned out quite good."

Seto's eyes twitched. "How in the hell did you get whipped butter onto the ceiling of the kitchen?"

Yami looked up. He didn't know that butter could travel that far. "That was Mokuba's fault. And technically it was mine, too. I should have told him to turn it off before raising it."

Seto was not expecting that when he returned from the hospital. If had known that leaving Yami in charge of Mokuba for two days would cause that sort of mess, he would have gotten a trained monkey to do it instead.

Seto picked up one of the gingerbread men. He looked at the seasonal decorations that adorned the biscuit. "You will be cleaning up this mess." His eyes moved sternly from Yami to Mokuba. Both nodded their heads.

Seto took the tray, and left the kitchen. He knew that Mokuba would not run off on Yami, and he would his best to help clean up the mess. Seto just had no idea how they were going to get the butter off the ceiling. He would have to make sure he was present, and with a camera. If he wasn't in his house, he would have loved to have put the video on YouTube.

Seto went up to his room. He placed the tray beside his computer, and saw that he had received an email. The toys that his crew that been working on were finally complete. All of them. A malicious intent flashed through his eyes. All he needed to do was make sure that the toys were tested, and then he could begin with the showcase.

Seto looked at the gingerbread he held, and then snapped the head off. It reminded him of the man he killed two nights ago, and the other he had accidentally killed in the kitchen. The man with the dislocated elbow was refusing to speak to the police, so Seto had done what any normal millionaire CEO would have done. He paid the police to look the other, tampered with the camera footage, and beat the man until he was singing.

And once the man had finished with what he was saying, Seto had left the precinct. He got what he needed. And now the rest of his plan could fall into place.

It would take a week for him to work up to the one he wanted the most. The leader wasn't the one that Seto was holding out for. He wanted the one that had hurt Yami the most. He wanted the one that would do cruel and unusual things to someone like Yami. He wanted the one that had tried to break Yami.

Seto looked at the plate of goodies that Yami had baked. He went into the closet, and changed into jeans, boots, a long sleeved shirt over a tank. He pulled out a coat, and picked up the tray of baked goods. He left the house, calling around his driver, who already knew part of what was about to happen. There were some major details that Seto believed he should leave out, in case his driver got arrogant and tried to blackmail him.

Seto got into the car, and pulled the coat on. They went to the warehouse, and Seto was greeted by the Foreman, who seemed rather pleased with the way things had turned out. He took in Seto's casual attire, and decided he valued his life too much to bother questioning why his employer was dressed that way.

Seto went into the other room. His eyes gleamed as he looked at the toys. He went over to a personal favourite, running his hands over the polished wood of the bodice. He smirked as the images ran through his mind. He laughed.

When he calmed down, Seto turned to Foreman. "You can move them to the secondary location now. And after today, we do not know each other. Be sure to remind your crew of that. The money will be deposited into the accounts."

Foreman nodded, and Seto left the warehouse. He decided to have a cup of coffee, and waste the few hours it would take for the crew to move his new toys. He got his driver to do his own thing, and would call him when it was time to move. And he knew he was going to relish in it.

* * *

The week went by without any problems. The police were baffled that the kidnapped teenagers had been released, and they were finding the bodies of robed people everywhere around the city. None of the captives would say who released them, just that the person was an angel.

Seto had smirked when he saw that on the news. He had turned to the person he had tied to a chair, a black bag over his head. He had wanted to make sure that his guest knew what was going on around him.

"And now you know that your entire cult is dead. Murdering twenty-eight people in a week isn't too bad of a record. Don't you agree?"

The person made a muffled reply. Seto forgot that he had duct taped the mouth shut. He had grown bored of listening to the person demanding to know where he was, what was going, who had taken and the rest of it. Plus Seto didn't want the people on the street to get curious on why there was someone shouting in the trunk of his car. Protecting his identity as the murderer was first and foremost.

Seto removed the bag, and stared into the confused and fearful brown eyes of the one who had hurt Yami so badly. He removed the tape. "What did you say?"

"You're the one who killed those people?"

Seto crouched down in front of the blond. "Of course it was me. Your first mistake was taking Yami. Your second was releasing him. And your third was being part of that cult."

Jounouchi raised an eyebrow. "I ain't part of any cult!"

Seto chuckled as he straightened. "What I did to your friends is nothing compared to have I in store for you, mutt."

"What did I ever do to you?" Jounouchi demanded, narrowing his eyes.

Kaiba just smirked. He went over to a wall, and flipped the switch. The room lit up, and Jounouchi had to close his eyes at the sudden brightness. When his eyes had adjusted, he paled as he looked around at the devices set up. That would explain the smell of decay.

The grey floor was covered in splotches of dried blood. Rats hung around, waiting for their next feed. Despite the mess that surrounded the devices, they were clean. Almost sparkling in the bright lights.

"I see you have some intelligence. Oh, that's a lie. You had things very similar to these set up in the little underground dwelling that you used to rape and torture others."

Seto walked over to the Rack, running his fingers over the machine of malice almost lovingly. It was by far one of his favourite tortures. He had yet to test the machine, wanting to wait for the perfect person. And there was no one more perfect than Jounouchi; the one who had betrayed Yami.

If there was one thing that Seto could not tolerate, it was betraying the trust of someone who cared about you. Yami had gone through hell – or the Shadow Realm, take your pick – to save his friends. He had no idea what Jounouchi was thinking when he had attacked Yami so brutally, but Seto was looking forward to showing the mutt what payback felt like.

Jounouchi was struggling against the chains that held him. He moved his feet, and found that there was something metal on them. He looked down at the shoes that reminded him of ballet slippers. His attention was drawn back to the CEO, who was walking over to him. He raised an eyebrow when the chains were undone. He didn't bother to ask questions, and jumped to his feet.

A scream of pain left his mouth, and he collapsed to his knees. Agony shot up his legs, starting from the heels of his feet. He removed the metal shoes, and saw that there were spikes on the heels, an inch long. He threw them to the side, and felt a foot between his shoulders. He looked up at Kaiba, who raised an eyebrow, pushing him down.

The wind left Jounouchi's body. His vision became blurry, but was slowly clearing up. He winced as Kaiba took a handful of his hair, dragging him across the floor. He was picked up with ease, and placed on the Rack. His limbs were fastened, and he tried his hardest not to beg for mercy. That was exactly what someone like Kaiba would want.

Jounouchi watched as Kaiba's eyes became cold. He swallowed hard, trying to figure out what was going to happen to him. He was on the Rack, and if he remembered correctly that meant that his shoulders and hips would be dislocated. That didn't seem too bad, compared to what he had seen happen to the people in the cult. How did Kaiba even find out about that?

Seto ran his eyes over Jounouchi's body, and came to realise why he would have to stoop to rape to get his rocks off. He was not the least bit attractive. Deciding not to think about it anymore, he picked up a pair of pliers, holding them in front of Jounouchi. He doubted the mutt knew what they were for, but he was going to make sure that Jounouchi never forgot.

Taking hold of Jounouchi's left hand, Seto placed the tip of the pliers under the nail. Realisation must have hit Jounouchi, as he began to struggle to get free. Seto was expecting that, and held the hand steady.

Seto looked down at the horror that played over the mutt's face, slowly wriggling the pliers, loosening up the nail. His eyes went back to the hand. Blood was beginning to appear beneath the keratin. He could hear Jounouchi trying not to cry out, and that was almost admirable. Instead, he removed the nail, and held it in front of Jounouchi.

"Only nineteen more to go," Seto said levelly.

Seto gave a deadpan smile when he heard Jounouchi's whimper. He quickly got to work on the other nails, making sure he took his time with them. By the time he had finished the left hand, Jounouchi was crying, screaming and begging for the pain to end. Seto would not give him that option, not yet. They had not given Yami or the others that comfort.

With the nails removed, Seto pulled over a bucket of water. "We can't have you getting an infection now, can we?"

Before Jounouchi could begin to conceive a word, his right hand was shoved into the bucket of salty water. Seto swirled the hand around, making sure it would kill off any bacteria, and did the same to the other hand, and eventually his feet. It was a little difficult for the feet, so Seto just poured the water over them.

Seto threw the empty bucket to the side, and wheeled over a cart. He picked up a tool that looked like a metal pear. The top had a wrought iron gothic design on it. As Seto turned that, the pear opened up into four spoon-like segments.

"This little toy has a few names," Seto explained, closing the segments. "The choking pear; the pear of anguish. It doesn't matter what it's called. It does the job. This was sometimes used on homosexuals, inserted into the anus and opened. Of course, I have absolutely no desire to do that to you. That would be weird. Instead, I'm going to use it as a gag. It may break a few teeth, but in a couple of days you won't need them."

Jounouchi clamped his mouth shut. Seto gave a disappointed sigh. He pulled on a pair of latex gloves, and squeezed the tips of Jounouchi's right hand together. The mutt opened his mouth with a scream that rivalled a horror movie girl's scream. He quickly inserted the pear into the blond's mouth.

Seto watched as fear danced its way through Jounouchi's eyes. It was almost as though he was trying to ready himself for the pain that he knew was going to happen. He had no idea what else Seto had in mind for him. No one hurt Yami and got away with it.

Did Jounouchi seriously think there wouldn't be any repercussions for what he had done? And that wasn't just what he had done to Yami. There were others that would want closure. And what better closure was there than knowing the one who had caused you so much pain was dead? It would be even better because they would know he had been tortured.

Tears streamed from Jounouchi's eyes. He begged around the pear, and Seto closed it, and removed it. "I am sorry. What was that?"

"Please, let me go. I won't do anything to harm you or Yami, I promise. I'll even turn myself into the police!"

Seto's chuckle was without mirth. "Oh. You already had a chance to do that. You had a chance to do that before you hurt Yami. Besides… How many times did Yami beg you to stop? You nearly destroyed him."

Seto held Jounouchi's mouth open, and shoved the pear in. He slowly twisted the handle, loving the squeaks it made. He made sure it was slow and noisy. As soon as it was pressing against teeth, Seto was met with resistance. He continued to force the pear to open as much as possible. He didn't care if the pear broke. Its sole purpose to make Jounouchi sweat, and it was doing a damn good job of that.

Seto kept turning the handle until it refused to go any further. Deciding that it was a decent gag, he decided to move onto something else. He picked up a leather whip, with nine tails. The tips of the tails had another three tips to it, and were covered in small metal hooks, with some bone as well. He had used it previously, and it had served him well.

"This is another of my favourites," Seto mused almost to himself. "I have used it before. Unfortunately, it resulted in exsanguination. I don't really want that to happen to you, so I think whipping you twice with it a day should be enough. Don't you agree?"

Jounouchi shook his head slightly. It took too much energy to do otherwise. Seto just shrugged. He stepped back from the Rack, raised his hand and let the whip fall over Jounouchi's torso. He didn't want to do it too roughly, as he didn't want Jounouchi to literally spill his guts all over his favourite toy.

Seto aimed for the chest area, liking the way the flesh was torn. As usual, to make sure there wasn't any infection, he opened a bag of salt, and smeared it over the wounds. Seto returned the whip to the cart. He looked Jounouchi over, enjoying the way he gasped for air. It was probably the same as when Yami was being tortured.

Seto watched the way that Jounouchi wept. "Like a bitch," he said. He looked at the nail beds, and saw they were still bleeding slightly. "Hm. I can't have you die from blood loss. I should do something to stop that."

For a brief, stupid moment Jounouchi's eyes flashed with hope when Seto walked off. He thought he would be taken to a hospital. He didn't know why he thought that, but it gave him something else to think about.

Seto returned a minute later, and Jounouchi could feel the heat from something. Brown eyes widened with fear and anxiety. Any hope that Jounouchi had had, was now lost when the red hot poker took up his vision.

Seto pressed the searing metal to the nail beds. He glanced up when Jounouchi's screams echoed through the room. It would appear that he had bitten down on the pear. The blond coughed up blood, and Seto would not allow him to die of asphyxiation.

Seto placed the poker down on Jounouchi's abdomen, the scent of burning flesh soon filled the room. He loosened the pear, and removed it from the blond's mouth. Jounouchi spat out three teeth, and Seto raised an eyebrow. The pear had worked better than he thought. Already Jounouchi's jaw was beginning to swell.

Seto picked up the poker, and quickly cauterized the nail beds, before he returned the metal pole back to the coals. Jounouchi's body trembled, but Seto wasn't done for the day. There was one more thing he wanted to do, before he went home and left Jounouchi there. After all, Seto couldn't stay out for days on end. Mokuba would worry about him, and it was likely that Yami might get suspicious.

Seto picked up a metal pole, white had a double ended double prong – more commonly referred to as the Heretic's Fork. He situated it on Jounouchi's body, making sure that the blond would not have an easy escape, if he did decide to kill himself. He made sure the prongs near the throat would only cause maximum pain, and miss the major arteries.

Seto then untied Jounouchi from the Rack. He instead dragged the blond to his feet, and shackled his wrists above his head. Jounouchi seemed to know what was going on. He hissed in pain as the prongs pieced his skin.

"Why won't you just kill me?"

Seto shrugged. "Did you kill any of the people you tortured when they asked for it? I didn't think so. Goodnight, mutt. I will see you tomorrow."

* * *

As promised, Seto returned the next day. He released Jounouchi, removed the Heretic's Fork, and dragged him over to Rack, where he was tied up again. As he knew that Jounouchi was likely to pass out from exhaustion, Seto made sure he brought adrenaline with him. He was not going to have that mutt ruin his fun for long.

"I was thinking of trying something new today," Seto revealed. "You see, there are a lot of tortures out there, and conveniently they can all be found online. So with all of that in mind, I decided to bring this in today."

Seto held up needles, and Jounouchi instantly began to cry. He weakly tried to free himself, but all that did was make Seto laugh. He held Jounouchi's right arm in place, and slowly inserted the needle into the flesh. It slipped through the skin, fat, muscle and came to a stop on the bone. He wiggled it, just to make sure it was bone stopping it. Jounouchi's shrieks of agony rang through the room.

Seto strategically placed the needles along the arms, so that every time Jounouchi tensed the needles would scrape along the bone. Seto stood back, looking over what he had done. It didn't seem right. There was something missing. He mused to himself out loud about what it could be, and finally snapped his fingers.

He grabbed the poker from the coals it was resting on, and placed the smouldering point on the needles, watching as they lit up red. Jounouchi begged for Seto to end it, and he assured the blond he would end it – when he was ready.

"Now, while you are being so talkative…Did you want to tell me why you raped Yami?" Seto removed the poker; the needles began to cool down.

"I didn't rape him!"

"Tsk," Seto tutted, moving over to the left side with the poker. He heated those needles. "If you continue to lie to me, I may have to get more brutal."

Jounouchi cried. He tried not to move as every fibre of his being was alight with sheer agony. And yet he still believed that this was Kaiba being gentle with him. "I did it…" He waited for the pain to die as Kaiba removed the poker. "I did it because…He always gets the atten…tion."

"You were jealous of him," Seto stated. "That is just like you."

Seto returned the poker to the coals. They would need to redone soon, and that was something he could do while Jounouchi was passed out. In the meantime, while the blond was still conscious he decided it was time to up his game.

Seto picked up another set of needles, which had wires attached to them. He laid Jounouchi's hands out flat on the wooden surface, and shoved the needles through the nail beds. It took him a few minutes to do, as Jounouchi insisted on fighting him every time one of the needles pierced his flesh. Once all of them were inserted, Seto flicked the switch on a little box the wires were attached to.

A soft hum came from the box, and slender fingers moved to a dial. Jounouchi didn't know what was going to happen, but when it did happen, it gave him a shock.

A low wattage of electricity flared through the needles, into Jounouchi's body and made the needles in his arms etch at his bone more. In a single breath, he screamed for a minute and a half until he found the sweet relief of unconsciousness.

While Jounouchi was out, Seto refired the coals. It was time he made things a little more personal for touching his Yami. And over something as petty as being jealous that Yami was better than him. There were times that Seto could not understand how Jounouchi had stayed alive as long as he had. His stupidity knew no bounds.

Seto threw a bucket of water onto Jounouchi after a few minutes. The mutt woke with a gasp, and the screams of torment began again. That was one of Seto's favourite parts. Just when they thought it was all a bad dream, the pain of the wounds came back with a vengeance. He had found that was the best way to break the members of the cult.

Once Jounouchi had finished screaming, and settled for pained whimpers, Seto held up a pair of scissors. "I probably wouldn't have taken it this far, if you had not have raped Yami. So this is what you get when you touch something that is mine."

Jounouchi felt his heart stop when the scissors moved to his chest. Unfortunately, it started back up when the blades sliced his nipple off. The wound was cauterized almost immediately. He didn't think he had the energy to scream anymore, but his body proved him wrong.

"I'm sorry!" he shouted.

"You're _sorry_?" Seto demanded, finally showing emotion since the torture began. "You forced him to torture and rape others for your own amusement! You aren't sorry, not yet."

Seto removed the needles from the nail beds, and moved to the crank for the Rack. He turned it enough to have Jounouchi's body stretched out, but not dislocating anything. He felt his boiling rage become cold again. There was still so much to do, and so little time to do it. He knew that Jounouchi was minutes away from passing out again, and probably not waking up.

Seto returned the poker to its home, allowing it heat up for a few minutes. It gave Jounouchi time to regain some energy. Before he left for the night, Seto would make sure he got some water and orange juice.

Once the poker was piping hot, Seto left it where it was. He went back to the cart, and took hold of the bolt cutters. He tried to decide which appendage should be taken out first, and decided on the smallest toe of the left foot.

Seto walked slowly over to that side of the Rack, letting the cutters drag along the stone floor. He knew that Jounouchi had seen them. He knew what was coming. The sounds, and gradual movements were all part of the torture. It wouldn't be nearly as fun if it was over quickly. Plus that would defeat the whole purpose of the word 'torture'.

Seto took hold of the small toe, wiggling it like a parent does when playing 'This Little Piggy' with their child. He opened the cutters and placed the limb betwixt the blades. He didn't close them immediately. But instead he watched as Jounouchi curled it, trying to save the toe from its impending damnation.

Seto closed the cutters, lopping the toe off with ease. He was grateful that the blades had been sharpened, though it might have been interesting to see how Jounouchi reacted with the attempts it would have taken to remove the toe.

Jounouchi's shriek filled the room once more. Except this time his voice cracked at the end, and Seto got the feeling the mutt's throat would be feeling pretty hoarse at that moment. He got the poker, and cauterized the wound. As he did that, Jounouchi passed out.

Seto decided to let him have that peace. He left the blond tied to the Rack, and quickly stripped out of the dirty clothing he wore. He washed himself down with a bucket of water, and got into the clean clothing he had brought with him. He needed to go home and help Mokuba with his homework, anyway.

* * *

Seto felt for a pulse on Jounouchi. The bucket of water hadn't worked, so Seto injected his heart with adrenaline. As expected, the mutt woke up with a weak scream. Seto had untied the blond's hands, and forced him to sit up. He opened the mutt's mouth, and with a squirt bottle sprayed water in.

Once the mouth and throat were moist again, Seto picked up a glass. Jounouchi greedily drank the water. When it was gone, Seto offered him a glass of orange juice, which was also drunk without a word. Once both glasses were empty, Seto stopped supporting the blond, who fell backwards. His skull connected with the Rack with a sickening crack.

Seto shrugged. The mutt was already brain damaged before the torture began.

"When will…you let…me die?"

"Once my rage is gone. Consider yourself lucky, you monkey. If you had done anything like that to Mokuba, it would have been much worse."

Seto picked up a metal contraction, which was to wrap around the legs. This would be Jounouchi's last day on earth. He never thought he would grow bored with torturing the blond, but Seto surprised himself sometimes.

"At least now you have another reason to be jealous of Yami, mutt. In the six months that you had him, he never cried in front of you. He never begged you to kill him. He accepted everything you gave him. You didn't even last ten minutes. You're pathetic."

Seto placed the metal boots beside the Rack, and retied Jounouchi's hands. He had been dying to use that machine, and he would do it before he got to work on Jounouchi's legs. They had remained untouched, and that just wasn't right.

Seto moved the crank of the Rack slowly, watching the way that Jounouchi's limbs were stretched. Jounouchi's mouth was open in a silent scream, until the sockets popped, and he found his voice again. His brown eyes were wild with fear, and Seto couldn't but think that that was probably how Yami had looked. He might not have given those bastards the satisfaction of crying in front of them, or begging for death but they had broken him. He just didn't voice it.

Seto loosed the chains slightly, and undid the ties around Jounouchi's ankles. He sobbed as his legs were forced to move, and Seto picked up the Boots. He encased Jounouchi's shins, and took hold of six wooden discs, and a hammer. The Boots had small gaps in them, three to be precise on each leg.

Seto placed a disc in a gap just below the knee on the right leg. He whacked the wood with the hammer. He didn't hear the bone break, so he kept hitting the disc until either the bone broke or the disc did. He raised an eyebrow when the disc broke first. Oh well. It had caused enough pain.

Seto placed a disc on the middle gap, and hit it. He bone broke before the disc did. The same with the final gap on the right leg. He moved around to the left side of the Rack, and repeated on that leg, except he didn't bother with the first gap. If he ever found himself doing something like this again, he would go for metal discs instead of wood.

Once the bones were broken, Seto removed the Boots, the only thing that was keeping the legs in shape. The shins deflated slightly, and Seto put the Boots on the ground. He slowly circled Jounouchi.

"My…sister," he muttered.

"Yes," Seto said, a cruel smirk settling on his lips. "Perhaps you should have thought of her before you started attacking people."

"Will…I…die…to…day?"

"Yes. But don't think I'm going to give you a quick death. I'm leaving you to the rats, if they'll have you." Seto made a few cuts on Jounouchi's thighs, letting the scent of fresh blood attract the vermin to their feast.

For the last two days, Seto had been keeping people inside the compound to keep the rats at bay. He did not want his fun to be over so soon. At least now those people could go back to their families, or wherever they came from. And he could go back home, to help Yami fully heal.

* * *

End Chapter VI.

I made this a lot less graphic than some of my other works, as I did not want to shock anyone.  
For those who are fans of Jounouchi, please do not flame this. I do not like him - I have never liked him. If he had skill and intelligence, it might be a different story. So I do apologise if you are a Jounouchi fan, and you just read that. But for the love of frig! This is a prideshipping story!  
Anyway, there might be a few mistakes in this chapter, I tried my best to correct them all, but I am only human.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Leave them in the form of a review, and I will answer them as quickly as possible.

(Asking me if I have issues, or if I had some sort of traumatic childhood does not count. I am completely, totally sane. Now please excuse me while I blow up this dead body.)


End file.
